‘Anjung Kasih’ facilities at QEH next year

SERDANG: Three more ‘Anjung Kasih’ are to be provided next year to increase to 14 these free accommodation facility at hospitals for the use of the deserving next-of-kin of patients, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said yesterday.

The latest Anjung Kasih facilities will be built at the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Setar, Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Bahru and the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Kota Kinabalu, said Dr Wan Azizah, who is also Women, Family and Community Development Minister.

“The responsibility of taking care of patients at hospitals can be financially acute for some next-of-kin who will then have to resort to sleeping in the lobby of the hospitals.

“Realising this predicament, the government offers the free accommodation to enable these people to be comfortable when taking care of their ailing relatives,” she said when opening the ‘Better Brighter Anjung Kasih YKN @ Serdang Hospital’ here. YKN is the National Welfare Foundation.

Health Ministry secretarygeneral Datuk Seri Dr Chen Chaw Min and Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) chairman Tan Sri Leo Moggie were also present at the event. The Serdang Hospital Anjung Kasih project is a collaboration between YKN and TNB, which is meeting the cost of upgrading the building and maintenance for the next five years.

Dr Wan Azizah said the Anjung Kasih facility is also available at eight other hospitals, namely the Selayang Hospital (Selangor); Sultan Ahmad Shah Hospital in Temerloh and Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital in Kuantan (Pahang); Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital in Ipoh (Perak); Tuanku Jaafar Hospital in Seremban (Negeri Sembilan); Sibu Hospital; Kuching General Hospital and Miri Hospital (Sarawak).

She said two more of these facilities had been completed and would be operating by the end of this year, at the Penang Hospital and Tuanku Fauziah Hospital in Kangar, Perlis.

“Since they were established in 2006, these Anjung Kasih facilities nationwide have benefited more than 54,000 nextof-kin of patients,” she said.

Dr Wan Azizah said the Better Brighter Anjung Kasih YKN @ Serdang Hospital has been upgraded to accommodate 102 people from just 26. It also has various facilities, including a surau, a rest area, a washing and drying area, a dining area, a counselling room and a volunteer room.

She advised the people making use of the Anjung Kasih facilities to take care of the amenities provided.